The Dashi Noodle Bar = Ramen Love

I’ve eaten as much ramen as any other college student but I’d never thought about it as serious food until my sister took me to Ippudo in NYC where I had the Best. Ramen. Ever. That dish of ramen showed me how amazing and flavorful and comforting a bowl of soup could be.

A couple years ago, I happened to be in Chicago and woke up on a 30 degree day with visions of steamy ramen noodles filling my head. I scouted around Chicago and found the best ramen noodle place that was nowhere near me. Figuring that Chicago was my city and I could find my way anywhere, I took the train and then started walking and I think I walked 2 miles before I found Urban Belly.

Fortunately the ramen was as incredible as I expected – slices of pork belly and radishes and mushrooms and tons of noodles immersed in a broth made with star anise and chilies. So great. I actually took a picture of my soup with my new Polaroid camera to mark the moment. That’s how strongly I felt about those noodles. I still have the picture so if anyone needs to see it, just let me know.

I had a similar “Come to Ramen” moment just recently in Bellingham and my sister took me to the Dashi noodle bar.

If only every garage entrance could be a Dashi noodle bar, the world would be a much more comforting place.

I had the ramen noodles, beef broth, pork belly and eggs and thought I had the best bowl of soup possible until Julia – the Dashi Mistress of Soup – made her own lunch while I watched. She had udon noodles, tofu, bacon, mushroom and beef broth, and forkful after forkful of kimchi. She added a giant pinch of cilantro, heaping spoons of sambal, siracha and lime on everything, a shake of this and pinch of that and it looked like a bowl of heaven.

Next time I go to Dashi, I’m letting Julia make my soup. I recommend you do the same.